


Story of the Rose-Strewn Sky

by TJS



Category: Go! プリンセスプリキュア | Go! Princess Pretty Cure, スマイルプリキュア! | Smile PreCure!
Genre: F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-19
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-09-22 15:18:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17062211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TJS/pseuds/TJS
Summary: A grand production is in the works. It is time to prepare for the first act.





	1. The Unknown Path

The being called Joker suddenly awoke. Or, he thought he awoke. In truth, he could see nothing but endless, unbroken black...hear nothing but oppressive silence...couldn't even _feel_ anything. It was more accurate to say he...became aware. He knew he _was_ , but knew not that state of being. After what could have been seconds or eons equally, the being called Joker felt an inexorable _tug_ at the very core of his existence, pulling him...up? Down? He wasn't sure...but he could _feel_ now. And he _felt_ as though he was a lead weight being dragged through a deep pool of thick oil. Another _tug_ came, and his existence sharpened, like a camera picture coming more into focus. Another _tug_ and he heard...no, he _felt_ a voice speak to him in the depths of his existence. It was a beautiful and feminine voice, one that was clear and bright like a diamond...but with one tiny little imperfection that disrupted his perception of it, namely a strange, almost metallic static quality to it. Barely noticeable, but just enough to be... _unsettling_.

**Can you hear my voice, Joker?**

_Hah, fool...I can't_ hear  _anything._ Oh, he could think. That was a new development.

 **Your response heartens me greatly.** Another _tug_ came at Joker's core. **It was difficult to find any traces of you to reconstruct.**

Joker would have sneered if he could. _Of course, those damn girls with their damn_ light... _and my cowardly master...former master, I suppose, simply let them win..._

 **But you had greater vision, sir Joker. You wanted to stain the universe.** Another _tug_. **I would like to give you another chance.**

_Oh? And who do you claim to be that could give me that chance?_

**I claim a lot of names. Metastacia, Medusa, Kefka Palazzo, Baldren Gassenarl, Lysandre, Count Olaf...in one life, Joker, I even wore the countenance of your existence. But you may call me...Ritsu.**

The name sent a great shudder of delight through Joker's existence. _Ah, so the Abyss has deigned to show a face at last...it is my honor,_ madame _. I am most interested in your...proposal, as it were._

 **Excellent.** Joker could practically _feel_ the grin in the voice as he felt one last _tug_...

And his head broke the surface of a pool of pitch-black tar. His mouth opened and gasped great, heaving gulps of air into his lungs as he clawed himself to shore and dragged himself out of the pool, naked as a newborn save for the tar clinging to his body and the silver mask that covered his eyes. As he rested on his hands and knees and gasped for breath, the same voice from earlier spoke to him.

"Welcome back, Joker."

His head snapped up at the sound of the voice and was, for once, rendered speechless by what he saw. The dark rock "shore" he had crawled onto was part of what appeared to be a huge, cavernous chamber...but after a few meters, the rock seamlessly melted into a vast theater, one with a large, circular stage in the center and hundreds if not thousands of seats all arrayed around it, all empty and poised to watch a show that had yet to begin. The walkway in front of Joker was lain with a richly woven deep red carpet bordered with gold that almost _sang_ to him, telling him to walk...walk to the stage, where a strange woman sat at a table alone, having tea alone despite two places being set. Joker couldn't see her, but every nerve in his body tingled with excitement. He could feel the _power_ emanating from her, from this theater, from every single seat in the place. Joker slowly rose to his feet, a grin splitting his face as he stepped onto the carpet. "I must say...the Abyss really knows how to put on a show, _madame_." Joker traced his fingers over the plush leather-backed seats as he strolled past, taking notes of the plaque embedded into the back of each. "Interesting...so you are in the practice of reserving seats for your guests? Sakura Kinomoto...Soul Eater Evans...Mana Aida...Nanoha Takamachi...quite a crowd, hmm? But they all seem to have skipped the show."

As Joker grew closer to the stage, the strange woman's image came into sharper focus...and what a woman she was. She appeared little more than eighteen, and dressed like a simple secretary, even with a black leather suitcase at her side. No bells and whistles, just a women's suit, skirt, and pantyhose, with shiny black high heels and a silver chain dipping into the pocket of her waistcoat, visible under the open jacket of her suit. Wavy hair like a midnight blue waterfall spilled down her back, shot through with strands like spun gold that created an odd shifting, glittery effect as the stage lights played off of it. Her nails were immaculately manicured and painted jet black, though once again shot through with minuscule flecks of glittering gold, and each earlobe bore a dangling teardrop-shaped earring with an impossibly deep blue sapphire that reminded Joker of the depths of the ocean. Regardless of all this, though, her eyes are what intrigued Joker most, framed as they were by semi-rimless red glasses. They were...mesmerizing, that same deep blue as her sapphire earrings, but with irises always shifting, flecked and fractured with what seemed like pure, liquid gold constantly flowing behind them. Physically, she was nothing sort of stunning, likely standing close to 1.7 meters tall with the aid of her heels, with long, shapely legs, an hourglass figure made all the more obvious with how the skirt hugged her hips, and the air of a supermodel on break between photo shoots. She cocked her head slightly and smiled at Joker as he approached and commented on the missing "guests". Her teeth were perfect, a dazzlingly brilliant white...too perfect. Too brilliant. "You have quite a mind for theater, _monsieur_ Joker...and as you are but the first part of my plan, I figured you would enjoy operating out of a magnificent theater such as this."

"I am flattered, _madame,_ I truly--" Joker stopped dead in his tracks as he reached the first row of seats. Just to the right of the walkway, one of the seats was _occupied_. A teenage girl sat in the plush leather seat, one with a relatively plain appearance: brown eyes and brown hair tied into pigtails that spilled over her shoulders and rested on her chest by a pair of red scrunchies, with a light yellow long-sleeved shirt and a light blue jacket on top and a short blue skirt with brown ankle boots and short-length socks on bottom. Strangely, the girl seemed to be _aware_ and turned her eyes to Joker as he stopped by her seat, flashing him a small smile before looking back to the stage, completely unfazed by his nakedness. Joker, for his part, was absolutely _baffled_. "...Ah, _madame_? It seems one of your guests is in attendance after all."

The strange woman nonchalantly shrugged and sipped her tea. "Miss Sakagami is always here, save for brief occasions every once in a blue moon where she disappears for a little while. She is an exception to the rules of your universe."

Joker cocked an eyebrow. "So this girl is a Precure?"

"Supposedly. Her strength of schedule as one is rather weak, though, and she didn't even get a proper attack until her third appearance...well, third overall. Second was a cameo."

" _C'est très triste._ " Joker shrugged. "May I join you for tea, _madame_...Ritsu, was it?"

"Ritsu, yes. And please...be my guest, _Monsieur_ Joker." Ritsu gestured to the place setting opposite hers.

" _Merci_ _, madame_ Ritsu." Joker climbed the stairs and joined Ritsu at the table, taking the teacup and gently sniffing at it. "Mm, Ceylon. You have a refined palate, _madame_."

" _Merci_ , I try~" Ritsu and Joker took simultaneous sips of the tea. "Now, _Monsieur_ Joker, I'll keep this brief...I'm quite busy preparing for the show of the eternity, and it won't do if everything doesn't go off perfectly. So, I would like your help as a fellow master of the theatrical arts."

Joker's grin from before returned, even wider than before. "Ahhh, _delightful_. My muse has been so stifled as of late...I'd delight in a chance to use it, _madame_. What sort of production are you looking to put on~?"

Ritsu's face broke into that same horribly wide grin Joker wore, and for a moment he felt he could catch a glimpse into the very heart of darkness. "A tragedy, _Monsieur_ Joker. I wish to write a tragedy."

 

*     *     *

 

"K-Kirara-chan, please stop...y-you already finished your crepe..." Towa Akagi was caught in the fruitless endeavor of trying to keep her girlfriend-- _fiance_ , she corrected herself--from stealing bites of her strawberries and cream crepe. "I-I won't share any more than I already have!"

"Awh, Towachi...being so cruel even to your own fiance..." Kirara Amanogawa, potentially soon to be Kirara Akagi, puffed out her cheeks briefly in a pout before her eyes suddenly lit up with a devious idea. "Well, if I can't have any of Towachi's crepe...maybe I can take a bite of my _other_ favorite snack~"

Towa blushed as red as her luxurious apricot curls. "N-No, not in public--"

Ignoring her fiance's protests, Kirara pushed Towa's hair aside to reveal one of her cute elfin ears. " _Itadakimasu~_ "

"K-Kirara, I-- _ahn_...!" Towa tried and failed to stifle a moan as Kirara's tongue touched the lower edge of her outer ear, teasingly sliding up from the lobe to the point. "I-I mean it, I-I'll-- _ahm_ \--I-I'll get angry...!"

Kirara grinned and leaned in a little closer to whisper directly into Towa's ear, causing her to blush a deep scarlet to the tips of her ears. "I think I'd like to see you get pissed off, Towachi~" With that, she gently bit Towa's ear with an exaggerated _nom_ , causing the alien girl to let out yet another moan.

"K-Kirara, w-watch your... _ahn, mm_...l-language...!"

"How about I don't~? Maybe I'll just suck your ears like co--" Mercifully, a rolled-up magazine swung down and struck Kirara on the head before she finished that sentence, causing her to release Towa's ear and pull back to rub her head. "Ow, what the fuck? Who di--" Kirara yelped as Towa flicked her right ear in chastisement for her bad language. "Ow! Jeez, what is this, National Abuse Kirara Day?"

The owner of the rolled-up magazine whacked Kirara again, though much gentler this time. "Every day is National Abuse Kirara Day when she's being a profanity-spewing lecher." Minami Kaidou stood above the two and unrolled her magazine. "Sorry, I don't make the rules."

"Ehhhh? C'mon, I'm not a letch...right, Towachi?"

Towa cleared her throat. "Your behavior in the shower this morning would suggest otherwise."

"Betrayed again..."

Haruka Haruno popped her head out from behind Minami's tall frame, keeping a loose grip on the crook of her girlfriend's elbow. "Well, Kirara-chan, you _can_ be pretty dirty-minded sometimes...occasionally...often. Very often."

" _Mechokku_...you girls are really harshing my mellow..." Kirara comically slumped off to one side of the bench. "...So, where's YuiYui and Yayo-rin?"

"Oh, Yui-chan had to stop by the doctor's office this morning. She said the two of them will meet up with us later." Haruka tilted her head while trying to remember any further details.

"Ah, about her hands? Man, I'm worried about YuiYui...maybe we should have a talk with her about it. Being a Precure isn't worth turning quadriplegic over..."

A bit of a somber silence fell over the group, which was broken after a few seconds by Minami. "Later. For now, let's just enjoy our day."

The others agreed, and the four friends began their day out.

 

*     *     *

 

Yui Nanase was _not_ happy.

She'd been a Precure for three years now, and while she cherished every second of it the side effects were starting to really take their toll. As she slowly wheeled herself out of the doctor's office, the words of her doctor (who was actually from Hope Kingdom, summoned by the request of Towa and Kanata to be Yui's personal physician) echoed in her head. _If you transform again, you could lose use of your hands forever._ She couldn't handle that, she knew she couldn't. But could she handle giving up that which she cherished so much to get them back? So lost in thought was she that she accidentally bumped into someone as she wheeled out of the office. "Oh, sorry, I--" She stopped immediately as she looked up. She hadn't seen him in the flesh before, but there was no mistaking... "P-Prince Kanata?" Her voice dropped to a hushed whisper as she glanced around. Yayoi wasn't around, of course...Yui had told her to wait in the cafe down the street. "What are you doing here...?"

Kanata chuckled. "Well, aside from contemplating paying my future sister-in-law a surprise visit...I actually came to see you." He glanced around. "Pardon me, but could we duck into this alley?"

"Ah...erm, sure." Yui was admittedly a little wary of Kanata's sudden appearance, moreso since she'd never met him before, much less been alone with him. "You'll need to push me, my arms are tired."

"Of course." Kanata took the handles and wheeled Yui into a nearby alley, getting just out of view of the main road before getting face-to-face with her again. "I'll be blunt...it's spreading to your arms, isn't it?"

Yui was quiet for a long moment as she rubbed her right arm with her left hand. The fingers of her right hand barely twitched as she mentally willed it to clench a fist, as if to defy him and prove that she was fine...but she wasn't, she knew it. "...Yes. Juno-san told me that if I transform again I could lose the use of my hands forever."

"Mm, I see...well, I suppose now it's time to share a secret with you." Kanata crouched down a bit to get on eye level with Yui. "...I didn't just send Juno to serve as your physician. She was also collecting usage data from the EPS to continue development."

Yui's eyes shot wide as they could go at this. "B-But...wasn't it banned due to--"

"It was. But we decided a short time after you lost use of your legs to resume development, if only to make the device stable or reduce the effects. However, all our work has yielded only a highly experimental 'update' to the System that we can't foresee the consequences of."

"An update...?"

Kanata nodded. "Hopefully, it will eliminate the damage to your nerves...but we weren't able to test any potential side effects, other than assuring it won't draw from your life energy."

"So..." Yui swallowed hard. "...I could walk again? I could draw again? I wouldn't be confined to a wheelchair...I could...I could feel _whole_ again?"

Kanata nodded solemnly. "At the risk of anything else that might happen, yes." Kanata offered a hand to her, palm-up. "It's up to you, Yui. Will you take the unknown path, or will you try and wait a little longer to make sure it's safe and risk losing your hands for good?"

Yui was silent for a long time, turning over every option in her mind a dozen times over. _What do I want_ _...?_

 

_-static-_

 

_Somewhere out of sight, a harlequin laughed silently._

 

*     *     *

 

Yayoi drummed her fingers on the table, fidgeting with a couple packets to entertain herself. _Yui's really late...I wonder if she's okay. She hasn't called yet...maybe she got bad news from the doctor and needs time to recover._ With a sigh, she flagged down a waiter for a refill on her coffee. _I'll give her a few more minutes before I call, just in case..._ Yayoi lifted the cup to her lips and drank...and then halfway through, she saw something that nearly caused her to spit it all out against the opposite side of the booth. She blinked to clear her eyes, pinched herself, even slapped herself...but the image didn't change. She couldn't believe it...there was no way what she was seeing was real. It was too good to be true.

For the first time since Yayoi had met her three years ago...Yui was _walking_.


	2. To Fall and Die

* * *

* * *

"How the hell are you suddenly able to walk again?!" Kirara was absolutely beside herself with...rage? Excitement? Happiness? Emotion, general emotion. "And why are ya actin' like it's no big deal?! YuiYui, you were paraplegic for *three years*! And now just outta nowhere...ugh, jeez..." She rubbed the tears out of her eyes and sniffled, belatedly realizing Towa hadn't chastised her for swearing. "Towachi...?" Kirara turned to Towa and found that she was kneeling on the ground solemnly next to the splattered remains of her crepe, which she'd probably dropped in shock upon seeing Yui on her feet again. "Er...Towachi?"

"...My crepe...after I fought so hard to keep Kirara from getting her hands on you...to fall and die so violently, it's such a shame..."

"...T-Towa-chan, it's just a crepe..." Yayoi piped up from next to Yui, obviously still somewhat in shock over the revelation herself.

"Mm, you could easily just go buy another, Towa-chan..." Haruka gently patted Towa's head, looking a mixture of slightly confused and... _really_ confused.

Yui chuckled. "Well, put simply...a miracle happened. I shouldn't elaborate, though...I was told not to just yet." Not _entirely_ a lie, but she was understandably leaving out a few details. "Talk to Kanata if you'd like to know more."

Towa's head snapped up at the mention of her brother's name. "Kanata? M-My brother was here?"

"Mm, but he had to go back. He said he'll visit you two in about a week for Christmas." That, however, was the absolute truth.

Minami seemed a bit dubious, but she would let it go for now. "Well, who are we to question a miracle? Congratulations, Yui...I really mean it." Minami came over and hugged her tightly, trying and failing to suppress the tears coming to her eyes. "...Everyone, come here. Group hug."

One by one, the other Precure piled onto Yui, who seemed so very _happy_ in a way she hadn't been for years and beamed brightly in the center of it all. "...Thank you, everyone...thank you."

The hug was held for a long time...and when it ended, the girls simply returned to their daily activities. They weren't going to make a big deal of it...after all, Yui was _normal_ again. No need to make a big deal out of being normal.

Towa's crepe lay splattered and forgotten on the cold ground where it had landed.

 

*     *     *

 

"So, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Of course."

"I-I'll call you when I get home!"

"Mm, of course~"

"I love you, Yui."

"I love you too, Yayoi."

"I'm still so happy about your legs...you're taller than I thought you would be, or maybe I'm just--"

" _Yayoi_." Yui's tone was playful, but stern. "I'm going to miss my bus if we say goodbye any longer."

"O-Oh, right! S-Sorry..." With a quick goodbye kiss, Yayoi reluctantly released her girlfriend and waved good-bye as she walked away, her thoughts beginning to wander as she headed back to her apartment. There were still a good few hours left in the day, and possibilities for what to do with the evening passed through one after another. She could take a bath, work on the next chapter of her manga--the debut volume was finally due out next month, she was so excited--or she could simply sit back, nurse a cocktail for the evening, and rewatch some of her favorite Sailor Moon episodes. That last one sounded the most appealing, she decided, due to being the least work. Just get home, blend up a dirty banana, and sit back while hugging her favorite Sailor Moon doll, the one she'd had since she was a little girl. Before long she arrived at her apartment. As per usual, she fumbled with her keys a bit before stepping inside, taking off her shoes and hanging up her bag on its usual rack before heading to the kitchen. One, two, three...huh, she could have sworn there were more bananas left over. Ah well, one is all she needed. She headed to her refrigerator and dug around a bit...rum, Kahlua, banana liquer, cream, milk...she carefully set them all on the counter and plugged her blender in before turning and pulling a banana off the bunch.

And then she saw _him_. Brazenly sitting in her living room, reading one of her manga... _Utena_ , from the looks of it...and eating one of her bananas. Her breath caught in her throat, her heart and muscles all seized up, and her blood flash-froze into ice. Her mind was completely blank...she had no idea what to think. Six years since his defeat...his _death_...and he sat here in her living room, unharmed and acting so... _casual,_ without a single scratch on him...after what felt like years, the harlequin turned to regard her. "Ah, _Mademoiselle_ Kise. _Bonsoir._ " Even seated as he was, he managed one of his typical elegant and extravagant bows. "You have quite a library, _ma cherie_. This one in particular interests me... _Revolutionary Girl Utena_. I can't say I'm a fan of Ikuhara, given how he butchered the later seasons of the original Sailor Moon anime...but Saito's work on this manga is exceptional. It's very... _theatrical_." Joker snapped the volume closed. "Duels in a grand arena over a single Rose Bride and the Power to Revolutionize the World...quite the spectacle, _non_?"

Yayoi's words finally found her again, and she brandished the banana at her unwelcome guest, sparks spitting off the skin of her cheeks as she prepared for a fight. "Wh-What do you want, Joker? Our battle concluded years ago...we destroyed you and Pierrot!"

"Pierrot? Ah, tut, tut...that _clown_ is old news, _Mademoiselle_. I serve a new master now...one I would very much like you to meet. Unfortunately, she's very busy at the theater preparing...but worry not, she gave me plenty of tools to... _entertain_ myself with." Abruptly, between one blink and the next, Joker was just... _there_ , right in front of her. "I think you'd look lovely in red, _Mademoiselle_ Kise."

Yayoi didn't even have the chance to scream before enormous black-feathered wings erupted from Joker's back and swallowed her up in total darkness.

 

*     *     *

 

Yui tossed and turned fitfully in bed. Hours had passed, and now it was the dead of night. Haruka was out like a light, as always...Yui envied her ability to sleep through everything. It wasn't unlike Yayoi to forget to call, but Yui at least expected a frantic text of apology at this point in time. It didn't help that Yayoi wasn't responding, either...Yui was worried sick. With a heavy sigh, Yui put her glasses on and sat up in bed, casting a wistful look out the window. On a clear night like tonight, she could see to the bedroom window of Yayoi's apartment, thanks to Noble High's vantage point over the rest of the city below. As expected, the window was dark...it _was_ almost two in the morning, after all. Yui thanked her lucky stars that it was the weekend, so she could sleep in. Her hands traveled to the Key on her nightstand, picking it up for her to run her fingers over. The familiar shape comforted her, but only slightly, much like how refilling an already leaking container offers only a slight relief from the problem at hand. She looked down at the Key, pressing a thumb against the octagonal amethyst set in the center of the chest, then looked back up...

And the entirety of Yayoi's apartment building was simply _gone_. In its place stood an elaborate white stone gateway, the top of which was fashioned into an elaborate rose flanked by carvings that resembled immense, outstretched wings. The sight stole Yui's breath away and caused a cold sweat to break out all over her body. "No..." It wasn't _possible_. Not even Dyspear at the very height of her power could have done _that_ without making even the slightest stir or ripple, let alone in a scant few seconds' time. As Yui stared, absolutely aghast, a noise came at the window. _Tap tap, tap tap._ It took Yui several seconds, or perhaps minutes, to turn and discern the source. A pair of doves, one white as snow and the other black as soot, were perched on her windowsill, patiently pecking at the glass alternately every couple seconds. The white one bore a letter tied to its neck, and the black bore a simple leather pouch around its. As curious as she was apprehensive, Yui moved to the window and cracked it open slightly, whispering to the birds. "Where did you come from...?" She reached for the pouch first, but the black dove stepped back and jabbed its beak at the white dove. The message was clear and unsettled Yui even more: _Read the letter first._

She reached for the white bird and took the tightly rolled letter out from the tie with shaking hands, then unrolled it and began to read. It was a short and simple message, but one that made bitter bile rise in Yui's throat.

_Yui Nanase, alias Cure Keeper._

_I have your lover. Come to the white gate and take her back. You'll need the ring carried by the black bird._

_-Joker._

Yui crumpled up the letter in a clenched fist and took the pouch from the black bird. Gone was any trace of nervousness, anxiety, and fear, replaced instead with a cold, hard _determination._ "...And yesterday was the happiest day of my life, too."

 

*     *     *

 

Yui didn't know how to drive, but she sure knew how to hotwire.

It was pure luck that this happened to be the day food was delivered to Noble High overnight, and pure luck that the delivery men were taking a break and had left their truck unattended. From there, it was a simple yet frantic job of figuring out which wires she needed to finagle around to start the truck, putting it in gear, and flooring it. She was well aware that she was risking a _lot_ by doing this, chief among them being her own life...but she simply didn't _care_. She put pedal to metal and gripped the wheel so tight her knuckles were bleached white, seeing red as she blatantly violated every traffic law known to man in her quest to just get to that damn white gate. She took the last turn onto the street a little too sharply, causing the truck to tip over due to all the momentum it carried. Thinking a million miles a minute, Yui quickly undid her seatbelt and opened the driver-side door, leaping out of the truck and landing with a hard roll onto the pavement below as the truck tipped over fully and crashed into a few parked cars, setting off all the alarms. Yui's hand, wrist, and forearm screamed in pain as she used her right hand to break her fall before the roll, but she didn't have time to think about that. Running high on adrenaline, she forced herself to stand and look up at the gates. This close, they were bigger than words could describe. Each of the two massive doors bore intricately detailed, exquisite carvings of figures Yui had never seen before locked in a series of intense duels. As she strode up to the doors, the ground before her suddenly opened and a strange device rose up from it. It was a single vertical door handle, similar to that on her grandmother's old refrigerator, and something similar to a keyhole beneath that was obscured by the handle. Yui went up to it and tried it, but found it wouldn't budge. "Son of a..." She examined the 'keyhole' and found it to be of similar size and shape to her Noble High class ring...

 _Ah, the ring!_ She pulled the pouch from the black bird out of her breast pocket and opening it, withdrawing the ring from inside. It was a simple one: a thick and polished silver band with the image of a rose sculpted into a flat face on top. With the ring now on, she tried the handle again...and just like that trusty old refrigerator, it worked and the immense doors began to open with a horrible grating and grinding noise. Ignoring the throbs of pain from her hand and wrist, Yui gripped onto her Key and stepped forward into the light beyond the doors.

There was a simple white walkway before her, one that led to a spiral staircase that, as far as she could tell, climbed endlessly into the sky. _Yayoi must be at the top._ Shaking off the fatigue that threatened to overwhelm her as her adrenal surge faded, Yui took her first steps up the stark white spiral stairs.

 

*     *     *

 

Despite the fact that she no doubt took hours to reach the top, the sky hadn't changed by the time Yui reached the top, nor was she at all fatigued despite the climb. At last, she ascended the final step and arrived at an impossibly suspended elliptical arena, stark white like the stairs and the gates. In the very center of the arena stood a clown...no, a jester...clad in a black bodysuit adorned with red, yellow, and blue diamond designs up the sides and a triad of gold-bordered white diamonds across his chest, partially obscured by a short gold-hemmed black cape. "Ah, _Mademoiselle_ Nanase, welcome~ We've been ex-- _hrrk._ " The jester's words were cut short as Yui marched up to him, grabbed him by his lapels, and pulled him down to her eye level.

"Are you Joker?" A simple question, with each word practically spat out in barely controlled rage.

The jester smirked. " _Oui_ , my dear _Mademoiselle_ , I--" An ear-blistering string of expletives spanning several different languages flew from Joker's lips as Yui hauled off and kicked him square in the groin, bringing him to his knees as she released his lapels. "Nn... _sacre bleu_...fuck _a merde_ , _Mademoiselle_ , won't you let me finish my bit? It's rude to interrupt the leading man's mono--"

"I don't care about your monologue. I want my girlfriend back." Yui's expression may have been little more than an annoyed frown, but her eyes burned with incandescent _rage_ at the sheer audacity of this _clown_ , whoever he was. "If you won't give, I'm here to take."

Joker winced and slowly stood back up, muttering a few more choice words as he regained his footing. "Normally, I would insist on theatrics...but I can tell you won't listen to reason, _Mademoiselle_ , so just this once I'll forgo the performance." Joker spread his hands and grinned slightly. "Of course, I have every intention of returning dear _Mademoiselle_ Kise to you...provided you can best me in a duel."

"...A duel? Fine, then. Name your terms."

"That's more like it." Joker snapped his fingers and whistled. "Rose Bride, if you please."

What Yui saw next was like a punch in the gut, a slap in the face, and a kick in the teeth all at the same time. Yui stood rooted to the spot in pure shock as _Yayoi_ stepped out from behind Joker. Her thick golden curls were pinned up in braids reminiscent of a crown, and a spiked silver tiara studded with topaz rested on her head, matching the shackle-like choker fastened to her neck. She wore a sleeveless red dress reminiscent of those worn by the princesses in fantasy novels, albeit with a few strange additions like military-style shoulder tassels, bordered by a sea green fringe at the edge of the bodice and two cuffs worn like bracelets. Her warm brown eyes, normally bright and brimming with life, were dull, solemn, almost dead-looking. It took Yui a few moments to notice the crystalline roses in her hand: one midnight blue, the other a beautiful violet.

It took Yui until Yayoi had arrived at Joker's side to find her voice again. "What the hell...? What is this, what did you do to her?!"

"Ah, tut-tut, _Mademoiselle_." Joker wagged a finger at her. "All in due time...all in due time. Now, Rose Bride?"

Yayoi simply nodded and pinned the midnight blue rose to Joker's chest before walking over to Yui and pinning the purple rose to hers. "...Whoever knocks the rose off the opponent's chest first is the winner." She flashed Yui a strained smile. "...Good luck." After pinning the roses, Yayoi returned to Joker's side and cupped her hands over her chest. "Rose of the noble castle..." A light emanated from her chest, growing in intensity and slowly gaining shape, becoming a perfect shining sphere about the size of a melon that floated a few centimeters above the curve of her bust. "Power of Dios that sleeps within me, heed your master and come forth." Yayoi let her arms fall to her sides as she let herself fall backwards.

Joker caught her smoothly with one arm, reaching with his other into the sphere of light as it solidified into the hilt of a sword, which he drew forth from Yayoi's chest. "Grant me the power to bring the world revolution!" He thrust the sword skyward as he "unsheathed" it, after which time the light faded and Yayoi stood, heading off to one side of the two duelists. The sword took the form of a typical rapier, with the basket hilt resembling a tangle of black rose vines. "I couldn't quite replicate that Sword of Dios, but I think this will do just fine. Don't worry, _Mademoiselle_ Nanase...I won't attack until you've drawn your weapon and transformed into Cure Keeper."

"...Is that so?" A bit of a smile played on Yui's lips. "I shouldn't keep you waiting, then." She held her Key out with her right hand, the one that still throbbed and ached from her earlier fall. She took a deep breath and recited the chant Kanata had taught her. " _Le trait de ma plume est le tranchant de mon épée. Viens, lame d'honneur, et repose ta poignée dans ma main qui l'attend._ " As she spoke, the Key began to glow and reshape itself at her fingertips, forming the shape of a sabre. She gripped the hilt of the sabre and the glow faded away, revealing a beautifully crafted blade with an acid-etched design reminiscent of ink swirls, a D-shaped guard with adornments reminiscent of angel wings, and a hilt that felt precision molded to her exact grip. "... _Espoir Fleuret: Reste du Conteur._ "

Joker applauded, though whether sarcastically or not was anyone's guess. "Marvelous, marvelous, _Mademoiselle~_ Clearly you've an eye for spectacle as well. Now, once you transform we--" Suddenly, she was _there_. Impossibly fast for a human, but this girl was no normal human. Joker was barely able to parry her first thrust, and by that time she'd shifted hands and was aiming a circular cut straight for his rose. This one, too, he barely managed to parry in time. _Why isn't she transforming?_ That question wouldn't leave Joker's head as he continued to defend against her advance, giving several steps to her unexpectedly deft and learned offense.

_Why won't she transform?_

Clang.

_Why won't she transform?_

Clang, clang.

_Why won't--_

A momentary lapse in Joker's guard was all it took. Yui knocked him off-balance and disarmed him before pushing him to the ground, poising her sabre a hair's breadth from his neck. "...Joker...I think you'll be waiting a while for me to transform. I'd fight back if I were you."

Joker snarled and tried everything he could to figure it out. "This doesn't make sense...there's no way you could have known, so you can't be refraining to avoid _that_..." Joker replayed his memories of the event. Everything was going as it should...he'd seen Kanata approach Yui, take her aside, offer her a choice, Yui hand Kanata her Princess Perfume for modification...what was he missing? Something, something...as Joker glanced to where his rapier had fallen, his eyes caught sight of the gold embroidery on the cuff of his sleeve.

His eyes widened in realization. _Gold._ Ritsu had told him to look for a gold ring on Kanata's right ring finger to signify that it was simply her wearing Kanata's guise...but there had been no ring. So that Kanata had been the genuine article, not a fake. But still, something didn't make sense. Why wasn't she transforming? _Why?_

"Do you give up, Joker? Very well...I'll tell you." Yui glanced over to Yayoi, regretful that she had to learn this way...but it was likely she wasn't in her right mind anyway and wouldn't remember. "I'm not transforming...because I can't transform. I..." She swallowed hard past the lump in her throat. "I'm no longer a Precure. Cure Keeper has ceased to be...and now, I'm just _normal_ old Yui Nanase." Her grip tightened on her sabre. "But even _normal_ old Yui Nanase has enough fight in her to kick your ass."


	3. Once More, Then

_**Earlier in the day...** _

 

Kanata blinked in surprise. "...Pardon me?" He'd heard what Yui had just said, but he was understandably in disbelief.

Yui's fists balled up in her lap...well, one did. Her right hand still refused to clench fully. "...Prince Kanata...I, Yui Nanase, wish to resign my status as a Precure."

Kanata was speechless for a long while before responding. "...May I ask why?"

Yui smiled sadly. "...I don't want to bank on something unknown, and I don't want to risk losing my hands. My legs...those I can live without. But..." Yui raised her right hand and stared at it, willing it to close...but her fingers barely twitched. "...My hands are my life. Without them I can't draw...I can't write...I can't hold my lover close...I can't cook, I can't clean...but most importantly, I have to think about my future. I can't slip a ring onto her finger...I can't cradle any children we might have...and I can't live with that knowledge. In truth, Prince Kanata...I've been agonizing over this choice ever since you told me years ago that the damage would be reversed if I gave up being a Precure. I thought I would be fine in the long run, but..." Yui shook her head. "...Here we are. So I'll say it again...Prince Kanata, I wish to resign my status."

It hurt her immeasurably to say those words, that much was clear. Yui was selfless to a fault by her very nature, and she thought she was willing to give up even her life to help others...until she very nearly had once, almost four years ago now. _The war that never was_ , she called it. Many Cures still felt the effects of it, and some had permanent reminders of it. It was almost like one of their strangely forgotten gatherings, but one that still grasped at them with phantom fingers. Even though the damage to creation had been undone by that radiant figure in white, whose name and face escaped her...some wounds couldn't be healed. Yui had very nearly died, that much she remembered, but in that moment when darkness threatened to swallow her she had struck aside the pale hands of Death and instead lapsed into a coma...and when she had awoken, her legs were--

" _Yui_." Kanata's soft yet stern calling of her name snapped her out of her wallowing in self-pity. "...It's clear to me how much you've suffered for not just Hope Kingdom, but all the other multiverses as well. You've done so many great things that will go unknown by many for all of time...but nonetheless, those that do know will remember forever." Kanata offered his hand to her once again. "Yui Nanase...Cure Keeper...I accept your resignation. Please return your Perfume and Keys to me."

Yui took a deep breath and reached into her pocket space where the items all rested. One by one, they came out and transferred from her hand to Kanata's. First the Perfume, then her Premium Shoten Key, then her Miracle Inkwell Key, then the Parchment Key...but as she pulled out her Dress-Up Key, she hesitated. "...I suppose I can't keep even one?"

"Not as it is, no. But...I could fashion it into a sort of medal of honor for you."

"Medal of honor...?" Yui cocked an eyebrow.

"In Hope Kingdom, we grant medals and ceremonial swords to those who perform truly exceptional deeds once they step down from their positions. For Cures, they get a special Key...one that acts as both. Considering your particular circumstances, I believe the bureaucrats can ignore the typical protocols for now. But trust me...we will find a proper way to honor you for your services, Yui Nanase."

Yui nodded, satisfied with the answer, and handed her Dress-Up Key to Kanata...and that was the end of her life as a Precure.

 

*     *     *

 

Joker spat derisively on the ground. "Ridiculous...why would a Precure willingly give up her power and then fight?!"

"You don't get it, do you?" Yui's grip tightened on her sabre... _Reste du Conteur,_ she'd named it... _Remnant of the Storyteller_. "I don't _need_ my Cure power to fight. I never did. I'm Yui _fucking_ Nanase, and you are going to pay _dearly_ for screwing with me." Yui stepped back and lifted her sabre from Joker's throat. "Get up. We're going to have a proper duel, by the rules you set."

Some part of Joker felt a sense of... _satisfaction_ at this. Something about a mortal enemy still adhering to some code of honor, of etiquette, of _elegance_...something about that satisfied him. "Very well, _Mademoiselle_." Joker picked up his rapier and stood. " _Au vainqueur vont le butin. Que le meilleur gagne._ "

Yui took her stance and nodded. " _Que le meilleur gagne._ "

For a long moment, nobody moved...and then they both moved at once, blades clashing half a dozen times in the span of a few heartbeats, a deadly dance back and forth. It was a breathtaking display of technique, an enchanting waltz set to the music of steel clashing on steel for an audience of one. Yui's footwork was impeccable, having taken every fencing class that Noble had offered before she lost use of her legs. Still, she'd never had a proper _fight_ before, let alone with an opponent physically bigger and stronger than her. _And fast_ , she thought, barely deflecting a thrust aimed at her rose. She disengaged and took a couple steps back, breath coming hard as sweat rolled down her neck. "...You're a worthy opponent, that much is for sure..."

With a grin, Joker shifted his rapier from hand to hand. "You're no slouch yourself, _Mademoiselle_. I'm quite honestly impressed...a normal human such as yourself, able to hold her own against one as powerful as myself...it's truly a sight to behold." He took the rapier in his left hand and leveled it at Yui. "But...surely you know that as a normal human, you'll run out of energy soon."

"Heh...so I will." Already, she was feeling the pain of her wrist zinging up her arm again, and her legs had ever so slightly begun to tremble. No surprise, though, she hadn't been on them for over three years and had gone from that to spending the entire day walking, and now this...frankly, it was a bigger surprise that they hadn't started shaking sooner. "If it's all the same to you...I think I'd like to end this on the next pass, one way or another."

"I agree. It's no fun prolonging the inevitable, hmm? Much longer and you're sure to fall regardless."

"Once more, then?"

"Once more."

Yui collected herself and stood up straight, leveling her sword at joker. " _Que le meilleur gagne_ , _Monsieur._ "

" _Que le meilleur gagne, Mademoiselle._ "

The two circled for a brief moment before charging...and for a brief few moments, time slowed to a crawl. The blades met, slid past each other, and...

 _Crack._ Steel struck and pierced a crystal rose, causing the petals to fall away as the blade continued its journey and ran its victim through. Silence reigned for an eternal moment, finally broken by Joker coughing up a few splatters of pitch-black blood onto Yui's cheek, neck, and shoulder, where it mixed with the blood leaking from the deep cut Joker's rapier had given her. He let out a low, dry chuckle at the sight. "... _Merde_. What a time for me to miss my mark..."

Intense fatigue washed over Yui like a blanket of solid lead. Suddenly, everything felt so _heavy_ , and it was so difficult to even breathe. "...Your rose, Joker. I am the winner."

"So you are, _Mademoiselle._ " Joker's rapier fell from his hand, bursting into a shower of rose petals as it struck the ground. "...Yui Nanase...I will remember your name, and curse it until the day we meet again. You have won this battle, _Mademoiselle_ , but not the war." Joker gripped the back of her uniform with a hand and practically hissed into her ear. " _Vous vous trompez profondément si vous pensez avoir vu le dernier de moi. Adieu._ " And then, between one blink and the next, he was simply... _gone._ His black blood still stained the ground, her sabre, her face and clothes...but somehow he'd simply _vanished._

As exhaustion finally overwhelmed Yui, she sank to her knees. Hijacking the truck...climbing those endless steps...and then this duel with Joker...her body was at its limit and she knew it, but still she looked to the golden-haired girl clad in red as she slowly stepped closer and closer. "...Yayoi..." As Yui reached out to her, a rose petal flitted down from the sky and landed softly against the back of her hand. She slumped over on the floor of the arena and rolled onto her back, staring at the endless dome of night sky above her, strewn with dozens of rose petals illuminated by the light of an impossibly huge full moon. She was vaguely aware of Yayoi kneeling next to her, taking her hand, of Yayoi's tears dripping onto her skin. She said something that couldn't permeate Yui's exhaustion and squeezed Yui's hand, and Yui squeezed back. As a comforting blackness descended over her, Yui only had one thought.

_My fight is over...at last. Cure Keeper...thank you._

 

*     *     *

 

Ayumi Sakagami looked up from her seat as Joker's tired footsteps passed her. "Long night, Mister Joker?"

The harlequin laughed once, bitterly, as he touched the slowly mending hole in his chest. "A long night, _Mademoiselle_ , but a fruitful one."

"Don't overwork yourself, Mr. Joker." Being chided by someone so... _insignificant_ , even in the grand scheme of her own universe...maybe Joker should have been offended, but instead he was simply amused. "Burnout is very real, especially in creative pursuits like screenwriting." The outcast smiled slightly. "I'm eager to see this show...so please, do your best...and make sure to take care of yourself."

"Ah, _Mademoiselle_..." Joker patted her head gently with a slight grin. "Don't worry...this will be the grandest production across all eternities. All you must do is wait."

She blushed a little and puffed out her cheeks, but smiled again, wider this time. "I'll wait as long as it takes, Mr. Jo--oh!" Ayumi's eyes suddenly widened. "I'm sorry, Mr. Joker, but I have to step out for a minute. _They_ need me."

"Hah...fine then, go~ Enjoy what little effect you'll have on whatever it is."

"I will, Mr. Joker." With a last smile, Ayumi simply...faded away.

Joker sighed and ascended the stage again. He could really use a cup of tea...

 

*     *     *

 

Yui's eyes opened slowly as the sunlight from her window gently kissed her face, accompanied by the song of a bird...a robin, Yui recognized it. Back home she had a family of robins that nested outside her bedroom window. She tried to sit up and found that her limbs still felt like lead weights from the previous night's exhaustion. With a groan, she reached for her glasses, her knuckles brushing against her Key...the Royal Keeper Key, Kanata had called it. She smiled slightly as she put her glasses on and turned towards the city...and there, Yayoi's apartment building was in place, completely untouched. No trace of the gates, the endless staircase, the duel arena in the sky...everything was _normal_ again, even Yui herself.

A knock came at the door, causing Yui's head to snap over to the doorway and prop herself up on her elbows. "C-Come in..." Wow, even her _voice_ sounded tired.

The door opened slowly, and the one person Yui was really hoping to see after last night came through the door: Yayoi, all smiles with her bright and lively eyes, with her thick golden curls, with her shoulder bag plastered with all manner of pins and patches. "Good morning~" She seemed even happier than usual, which told Yui immediately that she was either excited to show Yui something, had a pun or bad joke ready to fire off, or both. Belatedly, Yui realized that Haruka's bed was empty as Yayoi walked past it, pulling up a chair to Yui's bedside.

"Good morning. Do you know where Haruka is?"

"Oh, Haruka's practicing ballet with Minami. There's an exam coming up, after all, and she needs all the help she can get~" Yayoi giggled, then turned serious for a moment. "...Yui...about last night...you're not hurt, are you?"

"Oh, no, I don't think so." Yui flexed her right hand and wrist and rolled her left shoulder. Both responded with nothing much more than a bit of stiffness or soreness. "No, I think I'm fine." She smiled at Yayoi in that one way that melted Yayoi's heart every time she saw it, even in pictures. "How about you?"

"Mm, nothing. Joker didn't hurt me at all that I can remember."

"I see...that's good."

"Oh, but you'll never believe what happened this morning!" Yayoi gripped the edge of her chair, excitedly leaning forward. "I got a visit from Prince Kanata! He said he was in the neighborhood and wanted to check up on me, since you and I are so close." She giggled again. "Heh, Yu and I. Yui~"

Yui rolled her eyes. Of course. "How was your first meeting?"

"Oh, it went great! He actually gave me something to show to you. It's on a DVD, can you believe that? I don't know the technological state of Hope Kingdom, but I would think they'd at least use flash drives..." Yayoi flipped open her bag and withdrew her laptop, which was _covered_ in stickers from various anime series she loved, from Sailor Moon to Cutie Honey and everything in between. "It's some kind of movie, I think."

Yui was...puzzled. "A movie...? For me...?" Her half-asleep brain struggled with _why_ Kanata would want to give her a movie while Yayoi opened her laptop and got it brought up, closing a few curtains for better lighting.

"Okay, if you click there it should start."

Still bewildered, Yui clicked the play button...

 

_-static-_

 

Kanata came into view on the screen. " _Bonjour_ , Yui. No doubt you're wondering just what this is. Well, as I said before...you have suffered so much, not just for Hope Kingdom and your own home universe, but for that of countless others across the length and breadth of Precure history. You deserve all the gratitude and honors I can give for that...but it's simply not enough."

_Yui's mind slowly roused itself at Kanata's words, still unsure of just what was going on._

"As such, I racked my brain thinking of what I could do...and it came to me." He spread his arms in an offertory gesture. "I won't spoil the surprise, but here...a gesture worthy of the legacy you have left as Cure Keeper. Enjoy."

_-static-_

Kanata faded from view, replaced by three girls, ones that were all too familiar to Yui. She'd recognize Nagisa Misumi, Honoka Yukishiro, and Hikari Kujou anywhere, even without knowing them personally.

Honoka spoke first. "Yui-san, I'm grateful to have met you and even moreso to have fought alongside you. If not for you, Nagisa may have been lost to me forever...and that isn't something I could bear. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart...and _adieu_ , Cure Keeper."

Hikari came next. "Nanase-san, you're a truly incredible person. Even in the act of retiring as a Cure, you showed tremendous selflessness and dignity by thinking of those you loved instead of just yourself. Thank you very much, for all the help you've given us."

Nagisa spoke last. "...I'm not good at this mushy stuff, but...thanks for helping Honoka kick my ass when I was out of my mind during _that_. It's a shame we won't get to fight side-by-side next time...but you've earned your rest, you bad bitch."

The three of them waved as that image faded into the next.

_-static-_

Two new girls stood in front of a great tree, hand in hand. Yui recognized the one on the right, Mai Mishou...meaning the one on the left was Saki Hyuuga. Saki still bore the white fabric patch over her right eye from the war that never was, and seeing that caused a pang of sadness in Yui's heart. A young girl, permanently disfigured by the whims of madness...

"Yui-san," Mai began. "I admire your dream to touch the hearts of others as yours was so long ago. Never lose that brilliant light you carried as Cure Keeper, and I'm sure someday soon your dream will come true."

"I'm super grateful to you, Yui." Saki brushed something off her cheek. "Thanks to your help in Domremy, I've been doing a really good job at adjusting to life with only one eye...I'm getting pretty damn good at softball again. You helped keep me from sinking into despair...and words aren't enough to thank you for that. Shine on, you crazy diamond."

_-static-_

Another group of girls now...five in all. The Yes Cures, Yui surmised. Her eyes were immediately drawn to Urara, who clearly was still losing sleep over what she'd done during _that_. Yui couldn't blame her, really...

"Yui!" Nozomi jabbed a finger at the camera. "We've barely talked before--"

"Nozomi, you've _never_ talked." Rin butted in, looking as exasperated with Nozomi as she always did.

"...Oh, really? Huh, guess I forgot."

Komachi chuckled. "She was working so hard on her speech that I felt guilty telling her."

" _Ehhhhh?_ You knew, Komachi?" Nozomi slumped comically.

Karen slowly dragged a hand over her face, clearly wondering what she'd done to be constantly assailed with such lunacy.

As the others bantered, Urara stepped forward and spoke. Her voice was soft and choked with emotion. "...Yui-san...thank you. You were right...it's hard, very hard to live with what I've done...what I _did_ to her. It haunts me every night, and I can't tell anyone...but I'm coping. I'm doing what you taught me...every time I feel bad, I write. I write it all out, and...it goes away for a while." Urara bowed deeply. "Thank you so much, Yui-san."

_-static-_

A new group of four...team Fresh. Inori was still on crutches, Love's arm was still in a sling, and Setsuna still had a hell of a black eye. All these reminders of _that_...what not just her, what everyone else went through...tears quietly spilled forth from Yui's eyes as she just...took it all in. The magnitude of everyone's love and gratitude.

Love looked to the others, who nodded back at her. "Well, all right, guess I'm speaking for everyone! Really, though, there's not a lot to say. But...Yui, Cure Keeper...you gave me strength as we fought grueling battle after battle. Not just me...everyone was inspired by how you kept getting up over and over and over again, even when you were well past your limit. Your inner strength...your force of will, your determination to keep the fight going as long as you draw breath...that's amazing. We'll miss ya, Cure Keeper...but you've earned your leave." Love snapped off a cheesy salute. "Go get your happiness!"

_-static-_

Just one girl this time...Heartcatch's little blue bomber, Erika. "Hellooooo? Are we rolling? We are? Cool!" Erika clapped her hands together. "So, uh, wondering why I'm all alone, huh? Well...Tsubomi's camera-shy, Itsuki's...well, you remember what happened to her. And Yuri-san's...being Yuri-san. Good ol' edgelord lone wolf bullcrap. So, uhhh..." Erika twirled and tugged at a lock of her hair. "...I don't remember what the fuck I was gonna say. But, um...y'know, do I really need to say anything? Yui...you already know, don't'cha?" Erika grinned at the camera. "God, I really suck at this kinda stuff, don't I? Itsuki would say something all flowery and eloquent, like..." Erika put on a frankly not bad Itsuki impression. "The strength of a person shows in the magnitude of their deeds, and yours are both great and plentiful." Erika snickered. "Yeah, something like that. Anyway...yeah. Thanks a lot...for everything."

_-static-_

Once again, only one...Ako, who looked annoyed at something off-camera...the others, judging on the snickering and inaudible encouragements. "You guys suck, you know? I'm not good at emotional stuff..." Ako scratched the back of her head and turned to the camera. "...Hi, Yui-nee. Remember me? That pissed-off--oh, shut up, Ellen says much worse and you don't yell at her for it. Anyway, I'm that pissed-off little goblin child that kicked a soccer ball into the back of your head in Domremy." Ako glanced off-camera. "They're snickering about that. Of course they are. Ugh...look. Yui-nee...thank you. A lot. I was in a bad place after coming to Domremy...and your bullheaded insistence to--oh shut up, kids can use big words, too! Can you shut the fuck up for a second so I can get this out? Cool, thanks!" Ako rolled her eyes. "Your insistence to talk to me made me realize that I wasn't alone after all...that I still had friends, and people willing to help me and accept me in one of the most stressful and trying times of my life. And not just anyone can pull that kinda confession out of me, so...count yourself lucky, Yui-nee...and thank you. For everything you did for our team."

_-static-_

Back to five this time, and Yui knew these girls well. It was a little jarring to see them young, though, since she hadn't met them until they were almost out of high school...but there was no mistaking those faces. These were Yayoi's friends...and Yayoi herself, six years ago.

"O...kay! It's recording, I think...the light's on..." The young Miyuki Hoshizora adjusted the camera angle slightly. "There! Hi, Yui-chan~!" She waved in that typical dorky way of hers.

"Yo, Yui. We heard the news...and you know what? Good for you!" The young Akane Hino grinned in that typical way of hers. "That took a lot of guts, to put down everything you'd worked so hard for and step away."

The young Nao Midorikawa tapped the toe of her shoe on the ground in that typical fidgety way of hers. "Seriously, Akane's right. You really are a major badass. But we knew that from seeing you in action during... _that_."

The young Reika Aoki rubbed at her bandaged arm. "I particularly wish to thank you for saving me from the clutches of that Malice woman."

The young Yayoi Kise leaned forward and swallowed hard, tears already forming in her big, brown eyes. "Y-Yui-san...y-you treat me right, you hear?! I-I'll zap you if you make me cry!"

"Ahaha...Yayoi-chan, we're supposed to be thanking her..."

"S-Someone had to say it! A-And I'm the best qualified...!"

"Jeez..."

_-static-_

And now just one yet again. Rikka Hishikawa looked as exhausted as Yui felt, but she still did her best to keep a proper posture. "...Yui-san...I'll make this brief. I have a lot on my plate, but I'm the only one who could actually manage to get a speech together to do this." Rikka sighed and rubbed her forehead. "...It was thanks in no small part to you that we won _that_. Not just your efforts on the field of battle, but with emotional support in Domremy. It really takes a gargantuan force of will not to collapse with all the work you were doing...so...well done. Well done, Cure Keeper...and thank you for everything."

_-static-_

Two this time, a fidgety and anxious Hime and a calm, unflappable Iona. Really, the fact that Iona wasn't holed up somewhere to just... _process_ everything she'd gone through during the war that never was was a testament to her own force of will.

Hime piped up first, her voice shrill with anxiety. "U-U-Um, h-hi, Yui! H-How are you? Listen, uh, we heard about...what happened, and--"

"Hime. It's okay. I can do the talking if you want."

"...Y-Yeah, I'd like that."

Iona looked into the camera. "...Yui Nanase..." Her cool exterior melted away a bit as she smiled. "...Words cannot describe how thankful I am. For caring for Hime in my absence, for instilling in her the strength she needed to save me from that hell..." Iona put a hand to her chest. "And for everything else you have done and will do, you have my eternal gratitude. Anything that you would ask in return for your services to the Precure world...simply say the word and I will do everything in my power to make it yours."

"Y-Yeah, what Iona said! Thanks, Yui...thanks a lot!"

_-static-_

Just one again, the somehow relatively uninjured Rico. Well, physically uninjured. There was no telling how she was suffering mentally from watching her dear friends and teammates get turned into puppets. Mirai and Kotoha were likely still recovering from that horror, hence their absence. "...Hey, Yui. Bet you're surprised to see me, huh? After all...I don't know you at all, ahaha..." Rico scratched her cheek. "I'm not like the others...you didn't directly help me, or inspire me, or anything like that. I don't think we talked the whole time we were in Domremy...but after hearing the kinds of things you've done for people, I just want to say..." Rico swallowed hard and blushed. "...You're...you're an angel. Plain and simple...you're an angel on Earth. You're too good for the hard and bitter world we live in. And you're absolutely incredible."

_-static-_

Again, only one. And once again, not a surprise. Ichika Usami's team had perhaps had it the roughest, with all of the infighting that had happened from a combination of brainwashing, corruption, and flat-out betrayals. Yui knew Ichika still bore scars that would never heal, both physical and emotional. She turned towards the camera and took a deep breath. "...Yui-san...I only have one thing to say. Thank you...for being my friend when I had no one else left to turn to. Thank you for letting me put my trust in you, Cure Keeper."

_-static-_

Three this time...and for once, Yui didn't recognize them. One short and spunky with short magenta hair, one graceful and refined with long, dark blue hair, and one tall, slender, and blonde with a serious case of resting bitch face.

"Yui-chan!" The pink one yelled. Oh great, another Erika, it seemed. " _My name is Nono Hana_ ~ You probably don't know us..."

"...But we know you." The blue one curtsied. "Saaya Yakushiji. Emiru told us you helped her a lot with her grief at Domremy."

"Homare Kagayaki." The yellow one shrugged. "Not much else to say, yeah? You're amazing, and we want to thank you for helping Emiru through all... _that_. You're welcome here in Hagukumi any time...it's on Hana."

"M-Me?! _Mechokku--!_ "

_-static-_

Just one...but this was different from the others. Oh, Yui knew her, that was for certain...every Cure knew her, somewhere deep in their heart or the back of her mind. Ayumi Sakagami herself had come out just to thank Yui.

"Yui-chan...you know me, don't you? Enough to know that my being here is very special...just as you are. You are the brightest star in the sky, the diamond in the rough, a truly priceless gem of a person...and I, and every other Precure in history, love you deeply. Thank you, Cure Keeper, for your service to us all."

_-static-_

And at last, the group Yui both hoped and feared to see. Her dear friends and her girlfriend, all standing in a line in varying states of crying.

"Yui." Minami started, as she was simply a little misty-eyed. "Spending four years fighting alongside you through some of the worst times of either of our lives...I truly see you as a sister, and not just in arms. You are like extended family to me, and with everything you've done for me, even while you were wheelchair-bound...I'm proud to call you my friend."

Kirara sniffled and angrily rubbed away her tears. Surprisingly, she was crying the hardest of all. "D-Dammit, YuiYui, why are you making me feel things? Ugh...fuck, Yu--ow! Towachi, not now!"

"Language, Kirara."

"B-Bite me..."

"I won't. You'd like it." Yui actually snickered at that.

"Jeez...a-anyway, YuiYui...you're amazing, girl...you're a badass, you're incredible, you're a friggin' saint...you're Yui _fucking_ Nanase, and don't you dare stop being you. Ever."

"Yui-chan..." Hauka sniffled. She wasn't crying as badly as Kirara, but it was enough that she could only choke out one sentence. "...I-I love you, Yui-chan."

"A-As do we all, I believe..." Towa shed a few tears, all of which dissipated into a hiss of steam upon hitting the ground. "Especially..."

All four girls turned to Yayoi, who smiled at them and then turned to the camera. "...I have something of my own I want to give you, Yui. Future me, if you please while we go to the end card?"

 

As the ending card, a still image of every Precure (including Ayumi) holding a giant banner that said _THANK YOU CURE KEEPER_ , faded in, Yui turned her wet and bleary eyes to Yayoi in confusion. "Yayoi...?"

Yayoi cupped Yui's cheeks, doing her best to wipe away the leftover tears. "...Yeah, just a sec..." Even though she'd already seen the entire movie, being one of the ones that helped put it together, Yayoi was still more than a little choked up. "Whew...okay. Yui...there are so many things I want to say to you that I could make my own movie of all of them...but instead, I'll just say this: after seeing you last night, knowing what you gave up for my sake as much as your own...well, it flipped the switch on a decision I've been waffling on for a long time." Before Yui could ask what that was, Yayoi reached into her pocket and pulled out a small box that any girl in love hoped to see one day. Yui's hands flew to her mouth, a whole new batch of tears forming in her eyes as Yayoi cracked open the box, revealing a simple silver band inlaid with a small diamond. "S-Sorry, this was all I could afford...it's not what you deserve, but--"

"Yayoi...shh. Just...just ask it." Yui tried so hard to suppress a grin, knowing what the next words out of Yayoi's mouth would be.

"R-Right, sorry. Um..." Yayoi swallowed hard and held up the ring in an offertory manner. "...Yui Nanase...will you marry me?"

Before the words had even finished leaving her mouth, Yui had thrown her arms around Yayoi's shoulders and pulled her in for a tight embrace, all her exhaustion suddenly forgotten. "Yes, Yayoi! Of course, of course, of course...yes, of course I will...!"

Yayoi couldn't help but chuckle at her enthusiasm, returning the embrace after a moment. "...I'm glad." For a moment they stared deep into each other's teary eyes before their lips met in an emotional kiss that both girls poured all their hearts into. For a time, they were simply content to be lost in each other.

So lost that Yui failed to notice a strange, prickling tingle in her shoulder and the back of her neck...but it was probably nothing anyway.

 

 

 

**END...?**

 


End file.
